Prime Minister Narendra Modi's Independence Day speech from the Red Fort has drawn attention after moments of fumbling and hesitation, including a slip while citing India's electric vehicle sales figures. The delivery prompted criticism from Opposition leaders and social media users, who questioned his confidence and oratory during the address.

While speaking about India's progress in electric mobility, Modi initially said that 25 lakh electric vehicles were sold in India in 2009-10. He soon corrected himself, saying the figure was 1.5 lakh, before stating that electric vehicle sales had risen to 25 lakh in 2025-26.

The numerical slip was one of several moments that caught viewers' attention during the speech. Clips from the address were widely shared on social media, with users focusing not only on the incorrect figure but also on what they described as Modi's hesitant, shaky and less fluent delivery.

AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal also reacted to Modi's speech. In a post on X, Kejriwal described him as an "under-confident, nervous and shaky Prime Minister."

Several social media users commented on Modi's delivery after clips from the Independence Day address began circulating.

One user wrote that Modi was "fumbling more than ever", adding that he appeared to be losing the oratory skills for which he was known.

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Another post criticised the Prime Minister for "fumbling with basic numbers, losing the thread of sentences, and struggling even with a teleprompter."

Another user wrote, "He's looking down at the paper and slurring."

The reactions centred on the Prime Minister's overall delivery rather than the EV figure alone, with users pointing to pauses, fumbling and difficulty maintaining the flow of his speech.

Tricolour on Modi's pocket square draws attention

Another detail from Modi's Independence Day appearance also became a subject of discussion on social media.

Users pointed to the Tricolour design on the Prime Minister's pocket square, alleging that the colours appeared in the wrong order.

The Indian national flag has saffron at the top, white in the middle and green at the bottom. Social media users claimed that the colours on Modi's pocket square appeared to be placed in the opposite order.

The discussion over the Tricolour came amid a separate controversy involving PDP president and former Jammu and Kashmir Chief Minister Mehbooba Mufti.

A formal police complaint was filed against Mufti over an alleged incident during a candlelight protest in Srinagar on August 4.

According to the complaint, Mufti was seen holding the Tricolour upside down, with the saffron band positioned at the bottom. The complainant alleged that this violated the Flag Code of India and urged police to register an FIR.

The complaint further alleged that the incident hurt the sentiments of citizens and amounted to an insult to the national flag.